A male and female IDF combat soldiers were the two killed this morning as a result of gunfire from an infiltrating Egyptian police office into Israeli territory. Another soldier was later killed during fire exchanges in which the terrorist was killed.
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The IDF stated that "the complex and difficult event is still under investigation."
According to a report from an Arab network, a joint Israeli-Egyptian investigation is taking place "to examine the circumstances of the event and how to prevent such a case from recurring." It was also reported that throughout the afternoon, Israeli combat helicopters continued their operations, scanning the area of the incident.
The southern front and the long border are plagued with numerous smuggling attempts, which are usually the main activities of the soldiers stationed there. Last night, there was such an incident, and it is still unclear if there is any connection between the thwarted smuggling attempt and the deadly shooting incident.
At 02:30 at night, the IDF force intercepted a drug smuggling attempt valued at approximately 1.5 million shekels, located three kilometers north of the scene of the morning incident. The operation involved gunfire and the use of ladders. The drugs were seized by the soldiers and handed over to the police.
At the time, the male soldier and female soldier were deployed in a guard post near Mount Harif, located in the Negev Desert, for a 12-hour shift which started at 21:00 the night before, and the IDF estimates that they were fired upon separately outside the post.
In the morning, when the two did not respond to the radio calls, IDF troops were dispatched to their location and found them around 8:00, lifeless with gunshot wounds. The terrorist was identified during subsequent searches, and IDF forces managed to kill him after a fire exchange.
During the same fire exchange, an additional soldier was killed, and another soldier sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Soroka Medical Center for medical treatment.
The IDF further stated that no prior alert was issued for such an event, and the searches are ongoing: "We are fully prepared to carry out the searches, and there are no more terrorists. We will investigate how the terrorist infiltrated our territory."
In light of the incident, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a situation assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other security officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being continuously updated on the details of the event.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit released a statement in the afternoon: "In the early morning hours, a female soldier and a male soldier of the IDF were killed by gunfire from a terrorist while securing a military post in the area of the Paran Brigade on the border with Egypt. Subsequently, additional forces arrived at the border and conducted searches in the area. During the afternoon hours, during the searches, the force identified the same terrorist inside Israeli territory, and an exchange of fire ensued between him and the troops. The soldiers and commanders engaged, fired, and neutralized the terrorist. During the exchange of fire, an IDF soldier was killed, and another soldier sustained minor injuries.
"The terrorist was an Egyptian policeman. An investigation is being conducted in close cooperation with the Egyptian army... IDF forces continue to conduct searches in the area in order to eliminate the presence of any additional terrorists."
The incidents took place in the center of the 80th Regional Division, which controls about 200 km of the border with Sinai. This is a mountainous and elevated area with deep escape routes, rugged canyons, and "dead" areas suitable for surveillance. Therefore, most attempts to smuggle drugs are carried out in this area. The IDF has intensified its presence in the region over the past year with special police forces, aerial means, and ambushes, which have led to the successful thwarting of more than half of the smuggling attempts. However, attempts still occur on a weekly basis, often involving fire exchanges, primarily on the Egyptian side.
First published: 11:19, 06.03.23